


The Elements of Ninjago

by the_cosmic_latte



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Fanfiction, Gen, I have a lot of OCs but I won't name them all because spoilers, I projected so much that I'm not sure if the characters are like me or I'm like the characters, My First Fanfic, Ninjago AU, Takes place between seasons 7 and 8, and there's too many OCs running around, there's a lot of magic involved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 22:17:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13867140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_cosmic_latte/pseuds/the_cosmic_latte
Summary: When Della, the elemental master of Magic, senses dark magic, she goes in search of its source, and meets Echo, who advises her to ask the ninja for help. They travel to a distant valley, where they make new friends, and learn of an ancient bloodline and a powerful elemental master who will do whatever it takes to destroy Ninjago.





	1. Unusual Happenings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how long it'll take me to complete this fanfic, but I'll try to update regularly!  
> Happy reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Della flies to the Dark Island in the hopes of discovering the source of the magical radiation that she's been sensing for the past two weeks. She stops at Lighthouse Island, where she meets Echo Zane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad to finally be able to post this! Hope you enjoy!

Della sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. Sunlight streamed in through her window. Dawn was breaking. The sky turned pink, the clouds were edged gold and the sea sparkled in the light of the rising sun. She yawned. Della would have loved to sleep in but she couldn't. After all, she had a job to finish. 

Della slid out of bed, brushed her teeth, took a shower and dressed. Then she walked down to the café to have breakfast. 

The lady who ran the place was sitting in an armchair, reading a book. When she saw Della, she looked surprised. 

She smiled at Della. “Up already? No one in this city wakes up at dawn.”

“Well, ma'am, I'm not from this city.” Della smiled back. “And I'd like some breakfast before I leave.” 

“Oh, call me Yuko!” The landlady disappeared into the kitchen. “What's your preference : tea or coffee?” she shouted from inside the kitchen.

“I'd like some coffee, please!” Della shouted back. 

Yuko returned a few moments later with a plate of sandwiches and a jug of steaming coffee. “So, where are you off to?” 

“The Dark Island.” Della replied, digging into her sandwiches. 

“The Dark Island? Why would anyone go there?” Yuko asked. “And how do you plan to go there? I doubt any boatman would take you there. No ship sails that far out to sea.”

Della finished her sandwich. “Oh, I have my ways. Besides, there's something there I need to check.” 

“Well, I wish you luck on your quest.” Yuko said. “You may need it.” 

Della sipped her coffee and said nothing. Once she had finished, she paid her bill and left. The city streets were mostly empty, but there were a few people around, taking a morning walk, opening their shops, and occasionally stopping to talk. 

She walked down to the harbor and stood at the edge, scanning the horizon with her stormy grey eyes. Her long, dark braid whipped in the wind. She pulled her jacket closer for warmth.

It had been years since her last visit to the seaside. But this time, she had come with a different purpose in mind. It had been two weeks since she left her home. She'd searched every place she could think of - the Wailing Alps, the Caves of Despair , the Toxic Bogs, the Sea of Sand, - for the source of the magical radiation. She knew that only powerful dark processes could give off magical waves this powerful, but she didn't know where their source was located. 

The Dark Island was the last place on her list. She'd avoided going there mostly because it was the furthest location from her home and because it had once been home to the Overlord. She shuddered. She had no desire to visit the Dark Island. However, if she didn't, she'd never find out who or what was causing the magical waves. 

She looked around. It was dawn and the harbor was empty. Nobody was watching her. She summoned her elemental dragon and flew towards the east, as she was sure the Dark Island lay somewhere in that direction. The skyscrapers of New Ninjago City slowly disappeared. 

Two hours went by and Della began to question her sense of direction. She hoped she would sight the island soon. After all, she didn't have the strength to sustain her dragon forever. If she didn't find land, she'd drop like a stone. 

Just when she thought she thought she was doomed, she saw an old lighthouse, built on tall rocks. Why anyone would build a lighthouse in the middle of the sea, she didn't know but she was thankful that they had. 

“Where there are buildings, there are people,” she said to herself, “and maybe I can with them for a while. Maybe they can tell me more about the Dark Island and what's going on there.” 

With these comforting thoughts in mind, she brought her dragon down on the rocky shore and alighted. A strong sea breeze blew, making the waves crash on the rocks and send up salty spray. She stood there for a moment, trying to catch her breath, and then began to climb the steep stairs that had been carved into the rocks. 

When she was finally at the top, she knocked on the door. No one answered. Confused, she banged on the door, much harder than she meant to. To her surprise the door gave way and fell inwards with a loud crash. 

“Looks like no one's been home for a long time.” She used her magical energy to summon a flashlight, switched it on and flashed it around. For a lighthouse, the place didn't seem very big. Chains hung down from the ceiling. A wooden staircase spiralled upwards, probably leading to the light room. There was a small door in one wall with stairs leading downwards, probably to the basement, which she wasn't too keen on exploring. 

Suddenly, she heard a sound. It seemed to be coming from the basement. The sound came again, this time a little louder, as though someone was moving something. Then she heard footsteps. If she hadn't been frozen with fear, she would have run out the door and taken off on her dragon. A head peeped out through the doorway. 

“Jay? Nya? Is that you?” it said in a quiet voice. The speaker climbed up the stairs and stared at Della. He was definitely a robot, probably built of copper. A clock ticked in his chest, and his spinning gears made a quiet whirring sound.He had glowing amber eyes and a friendly face. 

“You are not my friends. Nor do you look like a pirate. Who are you, and why are you here?” 

Della, remembering how to talk, said, “You can call me Della. I'm an elemental master of Magic. I came here because I sensed something strange happening on the Dark Island and wanted to investigate.” 

The robot relaxed a bit. In a friendly voice, he said, “I'm Echo. Or that's what my friends called me. I was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And you are right. Something strange has been going on on the Dark Island.” 

He began to climb the stairs and motioned to Della to follow him. “You must be tired. Come up and have something to eat. I will explain everything.” Della readily followed him. 

“Do you live here alone?” she asked. 

Echo sighed. “I used to live here with my father, Dr. Julien. Since I was built out of scrap metal, I soon fell into disrepair. My father meant to fix me, but he was rescued from this place before he could.” 

“But who fixed you?” Della asked. “Did you do it alone?” 

They had reached the light room. It had windows facing all directions. A gentle sea breeze blew in and out of the room. Echo walked over to a little stove and began to make some soup. 

“My friend, Gizmo, a helper robot also built by my father, repaired me as well as he could,” Echo said, as he stirred the soup. “Then I met Jay and Nya .”

“Hold on a second. Aren't they two of the ninja?” Della asked. “Master of Lightning and Master of Water?” 

“The very same.” Echo ladled the soup into a bowl and handed it to Della. “They fixed me. They had come here to take refuge from pirates. Despite our efforts, our location was discovered. Nya was captured while Jay escaped. Later, Jay came back, asking for my help to defeat the pirates. We succeeded, but only because Jay made a wish which reset time.”

“Reset time? No wonder I never heard about all this.” Della remarked as she had her soup. “So why do you remember all of this?” 

Echo sat down. “I'm not sure,” he replied. “I still wonder about that.” 

“You'll find out someday.” Della patted him on the back. “ Now, could you tell me what's happening on the Dark Island?” 

“Ah yes!” Echo looked sheepish. “I got so lost in narrating my story, I forgot what I wanted to tell you. The Dark Island was abandoned a long time ago, as you probably know.”

“Because of the war with the Overlord, right?” Della asked. 

“Correct. Yet, for the past two weeks, my sensors have been detecting strange radiation, all coming from the direction of the Dark Island.”

Della felt excited. “Echo, did your sensors tell you who was causing these waves? Or how many people there are on the island?” she asked. 

Echo shook his head. “I detected multiple presences on the Island. Yet there was something strange about them. All of them seemed to be lifeless.”

Echo walked to a window facing the east. He pointed out of it, saying, “The Dark Island lies in that direction, just beyond the horizon.” He turned to face her, now looking serious. “I would not recommend visiting it alone. There is an evil presence on that island.”

“But how else can I find out who's behind all this? Who shall I ask for help?” 

Echo smiled. “Why don't you ask the ninja,” he suggested,“since they're probably the most experienced with such matters? My friends Jay and Nya would definitely help you. So would my brother Zane.” His face grew sorrowful. “I haven't seen him in a long time. I hope he's alright.”

Della smiled. In her hurry to find the source of the magical waves, she'd completely forgotten to ask the ninja, who were mixed up in every major event of Ninjago. She'd always watched them, if only from a distance, because they always seemed to be where the trouble was. 

“Then let's get going. The sooner we find them, the better it is.” 

Echo looked puzzled. “How do we reach the mainland? I don't have a boat here.” 

Della replied, “The same way I came. Flying.” 

Saying this, she ran downstairs, out of the door and down to the rocky shore. Echo followed her. She summoned her elemental dragon once more and helped Echo onto its back. 

“It's going to be a long flight,” she said, “but it'll be worth it.” And the two of them flew away from the island, back to Ninjago. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback - even if you find this fanfic years after it was published.   
> Thanks for reading! 


	2. New Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Della and Echo fly back to Ninjago. They fly to the Temple of Airjitzu and seek help from the ninja. The group then travels to a well known library, where they discover an ancient elemental bloodline that hold the key to the puzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is here! Hope you enjoy!

Della brought her dragon down in the middle of the Echo Canyons. She'd taken a break when they'd reached the shore and they'd had coffee at Yuko’s café . 

 Echo got off the dragon and looked around. He was now dressed in a t-shirt and jeans which she had summoned for him using her magical energy. Della got down too and her dragon vanished. 

“Where are we,” Echo asked, “and how far are we from the Ninja’s Headquarters?” 

“That,” Della replied, pointing to where the canyon narrowed into a long road, “is the Corridor of Elders. We'll stop there for the night. The Temple of Airjitzu hovers near the edge of the desert, maybe an hour’s flight from here. We can continue there tomorrow.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Echo said, and he started walking in the direction of the Corridor of Elders. Della summoned a flashlight and followed him. 

As they drew closer to the canyon, they heard voices. Both of them stiffened. The last people they wanted to meet were bandits. Della switched off her flashlight. The two of them crouched behind a column of rock, not far from the entrance to the Corridor of Elders. 

“It looks I've finally got you under my control, Lloyd Garmadon!” said one voice. Della's eyes widened at the last two words. “What will the famous green ninja do now?” it continued, now in a mocking tone. 

“When I get out of here Pythor, I'll lock you up in prison and make sure you never get to leave again!” a different, and younger voice said.

“That's definitely Lloyd Garmadon,” Della whispered. “He's one of the ninja. As for Pythor, he's the last of the Anacondrai, one of the five Serpentine clans.” 

“What do you suggest we do?” Echo asked in a low voice. 

“Stay out of sight. I'll deal with Pythor. If he has any friends with him, I may need your help.” Della replied. 

Echo nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” he said. Della turned invisible and began to creep towards the voices. 

“You know Lloyd, your threats aren't really terrifying when you're trapped in a Vengestone cage.” Pythor said. “I wonder what I should do with you now. Toss you into the Boiling Sea, perhaps?” 

Before he could continue, he was blasted away by Della, who now became visible again. Pythor flew 20 feet away from the where he'd been standing and lay there for a minute, stunned at what had just happened, before he got to his feet, muttered a curse and slithered away. 

Lloyd was trapped in a cage who's bars were made out of Vengestone. He seemed to have completely lost his tongue when Della blasted Pythor. She then walked over to the cage, grabbed the lock and muttered. Her hands glowed violet for a second. The lock clicked and she pulled open the cage door. 

Echo, sensing that the fight was over, walked up to them. Lloyd looked surprised to see him. “Who are you,” he said, “and what kind of power was that? Also, why does your friend look so much like Zane? And what are you doing at the Corridor of Elders at 7 in the evening?” 

Della was the first to respond. “You can call me Della. I'm an elemental master of Magic. And my friend is Echo, a creation of Dr. Julien and brother to Zane. That's probably why they look so much alike.” 

“We were looking for your headquarters when we reached here,” Echo continued, “and we decided to spend the night here. That was when we heard your voices. You saw what happened next.” 

“I've got many questions for you but I'm tired and you must be too. There's a small, empty house not far from here where we can spend the night.” Lloyd began to walk up the road and Della and Echo followed him. “Tomorrow, we'll go to Temple of Airjitzu and we'll discuss your problems.” 

They reached the house and Lloyd unlocked the door. They had a meal and soon, all three were fast asleep. 

The next morning, after a hurried breakfast, the three set off for the Temple of Airjitzu on their Elemental Dragons. Echo flew with Lloyd on his dragon and Della flew on her own. 

“So how did Pythor trap you in that cage?” Della asked as they flew.

Lloyd sighed. “I visit the statue of my father at the Corridor of Elders once every two weeks. Pythor was probably watching me and set up a trap for me.” He shuddered and continued, “When I was about to leave, he sent me flying with his tail and dropped the cage on top of me. Since the bars were made of Vengestone, I couldn't use my powers. You know the rest. What about you? Why were you looking for us?”

Della smiled . “I'll explain when we reach the Temple of Airjitzu.” 

They flew in silence. After a while , Echo gave a shout of joy. 

“Is that your headquarters?” he asked. “It's beautiful!” 

“Yep.” Lloyd smiled. “We're here.” 

They brought their dragons down in the garden and hopped off. Cole and Kai ran up to them, followed by Jay and Nya. 

“Lloyd! We were so worried about you!” said a relieved Cole. 

“And who’re your friends?” Kai asked. 

“Slow down guys! This is Della, elemental master of Magic and that's-” 

“ECHO!” Jay and Nya cried with joy, “You found us! We were so worried about you!” 

“Jay! Nya! I'm so glad to see you! Where's my brother?” 

Zane had come running out to see what the commotion was about. He froze when he saw Echo. “Are you my-” 

“Brother! I'm so happy to see you again! Father always spoke about how much he missed you.” 

“I'm glad you're alright Echo.” Zane replied with a smile. “Jay and Nya told me about you but they weren't sure what happened to you at the end of their adventure.” 

“Guys, if you're done hugging, Della has a problem for us.” Lloyd interrupted them. 

“A problem? This sounds interesting.” Kai remarked. 

Everyone trooped into the temple, curious to hear Della’s story. 

“So why were you looking for us?” asked Lloyd, once they all settled down around the dining table, “What's going on?” 

“Two weeks ago, I sensed dark, magical waves passing through the air.” Della said. “Only very dangerous magical processes can give off that kind of radiation, and after much exploring I came across the old lighthouse, where I met Echo.” 

“For the past two weeks, I've sensed powerful radiation, coming from the Dark Island.” Echo shuddered, and continued saying, “My sensors also detected multiple presences on the island. All of them appeared to be lifeless.”

“You're saying that we're dealing with the dead?” Cole asked. 

“Not necessarily dead, just lifeless. Maybe it's the skeleton army?” Jay suggested.

“The skeleton army aren't capable of dark magic, Jay. ” Kai said. 

“Well it can't be Clouse or the Overlord right?”Nya asked 

“As far as I know, all traces of the Overlord were destroyed.” said Zane. 

“And Clouse is trapped in the Departed Realm, which was destroyed during our battle with the Preeminent.” Lloyd added. 

“My experiences with magic tell me that no dead person is capable of magic this powerful.” Della frowned. “It has to be a living person.” 

“Why don't you look it up in a library?” Misako said, poking her head out from the kitchen. “Try the Library of Domu. You might find something there.”

“Then it's into the Bounty everyone!” Lloyd ordered. Everyone ran out to the Bounty. Nya fired up the engines and they soon in the air. 

Within an hour of flying, they had arrived. A few people looked at them as they passed. They hurried to the Library of Domu. 

“Alright Ninja, we need to look in the section for ancient legends. Magic! Dark magic! Ancient rituals! Anything related to that!” Della said, as she began to look at books. 

Everyone began to look around the library. Cole, Zane and Echo scanned the titles of books, looking for clues. Lloyd and Della started flipping through books about dark magic. Kai and Nya looked at the scrolls. And Jay pulled out a book on ancient families. 

“Umm, Jay, we're supposed to be looking up legends, not families.” Kai remarked.

“Loads of ancient families have legends related to them, Kai.” Jay retorted. “I mean, there's so many legends about the elemental masters. Look at Lloyd's family! I bet I'll find something here.”

“Yeah, right.” Kai laughed. 

They spent the next fifteen minutes working in silence. Suddenly Jay exclaimed, “Guys, take a look at this! I told you I'd find something!” 

Cole looked up. “You found a legend about dark magic?” he asked. 

“Nope. I found something even better.” Jay said. “I found a whole bloodline called the Line of Darkness!”

Della, who until then had been looking at books on the shelves, turned so fast she knocked over a pile of books that had just been stacked by Echo. 

She ran over to Jay. “Where is it mentioned?” she asked. 

Jay pointed it out to her. “And look,” he said, “they've listed their powers too! Dark magic, powers of destruction, control over the dead, the whole package! I told you I'd find something!” 

Della sat down in an armchair. She looked shocked. “So he wasn't lying ..” she muttered. “The process has begun ..” 

The others stared at her, now feeling worried. Zane spoke. 

“What do you mean by ‘process’, Della? Is something wrong?” 

“And who's ‘he’?” Nya asked. 

Della took a deep breath and said, “The Line of Darkness was an ancient bloodline of elemental masters, and the powers that they controlled were extremely dangerous.” She sighed. “However, most legends say that the bloodline either died or went undercover, as the family disappeared without a trace.” 

She looked at the others. “We need to see the original records of this bloodline.”

Echo peered at the book in which the bloodline had mentioned. He looked at the others. “It says here that this information was derived from the Hall of Relics, located in the Valley of Himitsu. Maybe we can find out more there?”

“The Valley of Himitsu?” Zane said. “I know that place! Cyrus Borg told me that he once visited it on a business trip!” 

 Echo smiled at his brother. “Then let's go meet Cyrus Borg,” he said, and they returned to the Bounty. 

 


	3. A Secret Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ninja visit Cyrus Borg, where they find out that Della is not who she seems. They then travel to Himitsu on the Destiny's Bounty, where they meet countess Aileen and uncover Della's secret.

The Destiny's Bounty landed on the helipad of a nearby building and the all trooped into Borg Tower. An assistant showed them in and they were soon in Borg’s office. 

“So how may I help you toady, ninja?” Cyrus Borg asked with a smile. “What do you need? New weapons? Equipment? State of the art war machines?”

“We just need information on the village of Himitsu.” Zane replied. “You said you'd been there on a business trip and I was hoping you could help us…?” 

“Ah yes, Himitsu. A beautiful kingdom, located in a valley near the foot of the Wailing Alps.” Borg wheeled himself to his desk, opened a drawer, removed a small box from it and placed it on his desk. “I went there to obtain this.”

“You went there to get a box?” Jay asked. 

“No Jay,” Borg laughed and opened the box, “I went there to obtain this.” Inside the box lay a small, glowing, violet crystal. Despite its size, it seemed to give off an aura of power. 

“This crystal wasn't easy to obtain, because of its value,” Borg told them. “The power trapped within this crystal could easily power Ninjago City for years, but since it has an uncontrollable nature, it is never used.”

He looked at them. “But why do you need information on Himitsu? Is something wrong?” 

“We need to visit the Hall of Relics so we can find out more about a certain line of Darkness.” Cole replied. “Our new friend Della sensed the presence of dark magic on the Dark Island and we're guessing that someone from the line of Darkness is responsible.” 

Borg looked astonished. “Della? I believe I've heard that name before.” He looked at her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Have we met before.” 

Della looked uneasy. “May I talk to you? Alone? It's urgent.” 

Borg still seemed suspicious, but he opened the door to a small conference room leading off his office. Once they were both inside, Della shut the door. 

The ninja and Echo looked at each other, confused. 

“What did she tell you about the herself, Lloyd?” Nya asked. 

“Only her name and that she was a master of Magic.” Lloyd replied.

“Hold on a second. That's all we know about her?” Jay asked.

“We don't know where she's from, only that she's not from around here.” Kai noted. 

“And we don't know her last name.” Zane added. 

“She always said ‘Call me Della’.” Lloyd now looked worried. “She never said it was her name!” 

“So we don't know her name either?” Cole asked. 

Before they could say anything, the door opened. All of them jumped. 

“We could hear every word of what you just said,” Borg told them, “And I can assure you that your friend has a good reason for withholding information about herself.” 

“What do you mean? And how can you be so sure that we can trust her?” Kai asked. 

“Della gave me proof of her identity.” Borg smiled at them. “When the time comes, she will reveal her secrets. But we currently have other things to discuss.” 

“Once we reach Himitsu, you'll need to go to the ruler's manor and ask for permission to visit the Hall of Relics.” Della frowned. “I'd come with you, but I have a different job in Himitsu. Time's running out.”

“Then what are waiting for?” Nya asked. “Into the Bounty!” 

They trooped into the Bounty and soon, they were back in the air. Nya, engaged the rocket boosters and then set the course for the Valley of Himitsu, which she had finally tracked down.

Everyone else gathered around the table. Zane and Kai quickly made some rolls and soon, everyone was munching away happily. 

“How long till we get there?” Echo asked. 

“Due to my recent upgrades of the rocket boosters, we'll be there in two and a half hours.” Nya replied. 

“That's fast!” Echo said in an amazed voice. 

“You said we need to visit the ruler's manor.” Cole said. “Who is it ruled by?”

“The kingdom of Himitsu has always had two rulers - one main, and one as an assistant.” Della replied. “If the main ruler dies, the assistant becomes the main ruler and a new family member takes their place. It is currently ruled by two sisters.”

“Sisters? Are their parents dead?” Jay asked. 

“Yes, their parents are dead Jay.” Della laughed. “But it wouldn't have made much of a difference if their father was alive. The rules state that only someone born into or adopted by the ruling family can rule the kingdom.” She finished her roll before saying, “ Here's another fun fact : the ruling family is also an ancient bloodline of elemental masters.” 

Kai's eyes widened. “You're kidding, right?” 

Della smiled. “Nope. It's true.”

Before anyone could ask more questions, Nya announced that they'd entered the Valley of Himitsu. Everyone ran up to the main deck so that they could get a better view of it. 

“It's beautiful.” Cole sighed. 

“I never thought the Wailing Alps could look so beautiful!” Kai remarked. 

“That's because the valley is really far away from them and sheltered from the harsh winds that blow around the Wailing Alps.” Della smiled. “It's good to be back. I've missed this place.” 

“You mean you live here?” Zane asked. “Why didn't you tell us before?” 

“You'll see why.” Della replied. “I'd better go and tell Nya where to land the Bounty. I know the best spots.” She went back to the cabin and soon the Destiny's Bounty landed in a small field surrounded by trees, so that it was hidden and sheltered. 

“So where is the ruler's manor?” Lloyd asked, once they were all off the Bounty. 

“I'll guide you to the village. After that, you'll have to ask around a bit and find out where it's located.” Della replied. 

“Why can't you come with us?” Kai asked. 

Della shook her head. “I'm too recognizable.Besides, there's somewhere else I need to be.” 

“Okay, but why? And will we ever see you again?” Cole asked.

“Sooner than you think.” Della smiled at him and then turned invisible. 

They had reached the village. It was now evening. They stood and argued about which direction would be the best to search in when they heard a familiar voice. 

“Well! If it isn't the ninja!” 

Everyone turned around. In front of them stood Neuro, Elemental Master of the Mind. 

“Neuro? How did you get here?” Kai asked. 

“This valley is my home.” Neuro smiled. “But what brings you here? Have you come sightseeing?” 

“Neuro, we need to get to the ruler's manor. Can you take us there?” Zane said. 

“You mean the House of Elements?” Neuro nodded. “Of course I can! Follow me!” 

“I'm curious. Why do you want to meet the Countesses?” Neuro asked as they walked. 

“We need to visit the Hall of Relics. There's something there that we need to check.” Cole replied. 

“The Hall of Relics?” He shook his head. “I hear that no one is allowed there.” 

“We have to try.” Nya said. “It's urgent.” 

“Well, we're here! I hope your request is fulfilled.” Saying this, he turned and left them. 

The ruler's manor, or the House of Elements as it was called, was a big and grand building. The ninja were shown in by a guard who then took them to through an opening hall to a room that looked like the main court. 

The courtroom was mostly empty. There were people standing here and there and talking among themselves. When they saw the ninja, they moved aside and cleared a path for them. 

At the very front of the room, two thrones were set. One of them was empty, but in the other sat a young woman. She had a pale complexion. Her rust colored hair was tied in one pony tail. She was dressed in robes of pale yellow robes. Her deep blue eyes lit up and she gave them a friendly smile. 

She stood up to greet them. “Welcome, ninja, to the kingdom of Himitsu. I am Lady Aileen Lupe, and I am assistant ruler of this valley. How may I help you?” 

Lloyd stepped forward. “My Lady,” he began but he was cut off by the countess. 

“You may call me Aileen.” She smiled. “I hate titles.” 

Lloyd looked a little confused, but he continued. “Um, okay. Aileen, we seek your permission to visit the Hall of Relics.” 

Aileen face fell. “I'm sorry, ninja, but I cannot allow you.” 

Nya stepped forward. “Aileen, this is urgent. We need to visit the Hall of Relics because we need information on an ancient bloodline.” 

“We promise we'll be extremely careful.” Cole added. 

“That's not the point.” Aileen sat down. “To visit the Hall of Relics, you need my sister's approval. I'm sure she wouldn't mind but we need her to enter the Hall.” She sighed. “My sister has been away for a long time and I don't know when she will ret-” 

“Your sister has returned.” said a familiar voice. Everyone in the courtroom fell to their knees. 

The ninja spun around. There, standing at the doors, was Della. But she wasn't dressed in her regular clothes. Instead she wore robes of violet with elaborate designs. 

Aileen looked surprised. “I'm glad you're back, Della.” 

Della smiled at her as she walked towards the thrones. “And I'm glad to see you, Isla.” 

She turned to the ninja. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier, but I didn't want to be recognized. My name isn't Della, although I often insist on my friends and family calling me that. My name is Adelaide, Lady Adelaide Lupe, ruler of Himitsu and Keeper of Secrets.” 

Adelaide turned to one of the woman standing nearby. “Elara, we need to visit the Hall of Relics. Will you take care of things until we return?” 

Elara nodded. “Yes my lady.” 

Aileen choked. “We're leaving now? It's sunset!” 

“Isla,” Adelaide sounded annoyed. “I know you don't like leaving after sunset or before sunrise but this is urgent.” 

“Fine.” Aileen huffed. “But I'm flying with you.”

“Alright then.” She turned to the ninja. “Let's go to the Hall of Relics!” 

 


	4. A Forgotten Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the group flies to the Hall of Relics, Adelaide and Aileen narrate the story of their family and how the Line of Darkness came to be.

Adelaide and Aileen led the others through various rooms, corridors and passages. The ninja were still trying to get over the shock that Della was actually the Countess of Himitsu. 

“So Della got the throne because she was older?” Jay asked. “What's your age difference?” 

Aileen replied “One minute.” She laughed when she saw Jay's confused expression. “We're twins. Della was born first and I was born a minute later.” 

“I take after our mother.” Della smiled. “Isla takes after our father.”

Aileen sighed. “I wish it wasn't nearly sunset. I wanted to summon my elemental dragon.”

“You're an elemental master too?” Kai looked surprised. 

“Our family is made up of elemental masters, Kai.” Aileen told him. “I'm the elemental master of Sunlight, just like my father.” 

“Which is why she can't summoning her elemental dragon after sundown.” Della added. 

“Is there an elemental master of Moonlight too then?” Nya joked. 

Della laughed. “There is. That's my little cousin, Eleor, or as he prefers to be called, Lee.” She turned to her sister. “Where is Lee? I didn't see him in the courtroom. ” 

“He's at the Hall of Relics with Duncan.” Aileen replied. “Duncan was really annoyed when he found out that you left without him.” 

“Well I'm back, so he can stop being annoyed.” Della rolled her eyes. “I didn't tell him I'm leaving because I wanted to go alone.” 

“And he wanted to come with you to ensure your safety.” Aileen looked at the others. “Duncan's her boyfriend.”

“Is not!” Della protested, her face reddening. “When will you get that idea out of your head?” 

“When you admit that you like him.” Aileen replied. “When are you two planning to get married?” 

Adelaide was about to say something when they appeared in front of a locked door. She grabbed the lock and muttered under her breath. The lock clicked and she pushed open the door. 

They emerged in front of a pass in the mountains. Aileen shut the door once everyone was out.

Echo was the first to speak. “Where are we? And how do we go to the Hall of Relics?” 

Adelaide looked at the others. “You will need to summon your Elemental Dragons. I will lead the way. Do not lose sight of me or you may be lost forever.” 

“Lost forever? What do you mean?” Zane asked. 

“The route to the Hall of Relics is through a labyrinth of mountain passes.” Aileen replied. “Only my family can navigate through it safely. If you can memorize the way, that would be great. But don't wander away from the others.” 

Everyone nodded. The ninja summoned their elemental dragons. Echo decided to fly with Zane. Aileen was already sitting behind her sister on her elemental dragon. She looked around at the others. 

“Everyone ready? Go!” and they all took off. Della led the way, twisting this way and that. The way was wide enough for three dragons to fly side by side. Many paths led off the route they were following. 

“Tell them the legend of the two magical bloodlines.” said Adelaide as she led the way on her elemental dragon. “We won't be there for a while. They'll find it easier to understand things if they know the story.” 

“Alright then.” Aileen turned around and sat with her back to her sister so that she could face the ninja. “Our family, like that of any elemental master, can be traced to the time of the First Spinjitzu Master. After the First Spinjitzu Master defeated the evil Overlord by dividing Ninjago in two parts, he entrusted his various elemental powers to ordinary people, who then became the first elemental masters.”

“The elemental power of Magic was entrusted to two sisters named Theia and Mayumi.” Della interrupted her sister. “Since they were native to this valley, they were given control of it and entrusted with the protection and preservation of the Hall of Relics, a place built by the elemental masters to safeguard Ninjago’s most powerful relics and secrets.”

“Concentrate on flying the dragon, Della.” Aileen felt annoyed at being interrupted. “I'm telling this story.” 

“Then avoid the history lesson and get on with the legend!” Her sister retorted. 

“Ahem.” Jay interrupted them. “You were saying...?” 

“Ah yes. The legend.” Aileen continued. “Theia and Mayumi became the joint rulers of the valley of Himitsu. However, while Theia preferred to stay in Himitsu, Mayumi often left the valley in search of more information to store in the Hall of Relics. On one such journey, she happened upon a Vengestone cave. She was unaware that the stone blocked her magical powers and decided to explore it. Unfortunately, at that time, the cave was being used as a home by the Great Devourer. Mayumi made it out alive, but not without being bitten.” 

The ninja gasped. “So you're saying she slowly turned evil, like my father?” Lloyd asked. 

“She didn't.” Della replied. “Mayumi was a powerful elemental master and managed to prevent herself from turning evil by fusing the darkness of the venom with her magical energy which had built up inside her due to her time in the Vengestone cave.”

“Doesn't that have side effects?” Cole asked. “Fusing evil venom with magical energy sounds really dangerous.”

“It did have a side effect.” Aileen replied. “Mayumi’s elemental power changed from magic to chaotic, dark magic. And when her element changed, so did that of her children. Her descendants became known as the line of Darkness.” 

“So you guys are related to the line of Darkness?” Kai asked.   

“Not exactly.” Della said. “Our ancestors were sisters, but the lines never shared a common relation after that. Or at least none that we know of.” 

“What do you mean?” Nya asked. “Don't you have a written family tree for the line of Darkness?” 

“The line of Darkness is said to have either died out or gone underground.” Aileen told her. “After Mayumi's death, her descendants chose to leave the throne to our line, Theia’s descendants, and live a quiet life.” 

“Of course, not all of them were peaceful.” Della said. “While some used their dark powers to help others, a few used them to cause chaos and destruction in Ninjago. I doubt anyone knows the location of living descendants of the line of Darkness.” 

“Well, let's hope we can clear up the questions around the person causing the magical radiation when we get to the Hall of Relics.” Echo said. 

“We're about to find out.” Aileen replied, looking over her shoulder. “We're here.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I know this is a really short chapter but I wanted the story of the origin of the Line of Darkness to remain separate. Don't worry though, I'll upload the next chapter soon. More on Adelaide and Duncan in the next chapter.


	5. The Tree of Elements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives at the Hall of Relics, where they are greeted by Duncan - Adelaide's personal guard and best friend - and Lee, her cousin. As they attempt to solve the mystery of the master of Darkness, Adelaide receives a confusing phone call.

The Hall of Relics looked more like a fortress than a hall. Guards stood by the doors, in watchtowers and on the walls, armed with crossbows and cannons, ready to defend it from enemies. Many buildings rose up behind them, all built surrounding a main hall. Behind the buildings, in the light of the moon, they could see fields stretching out into the distance. 

“Impressive huh? The Hall of Relics is well protected. ” Adelaide said, smiling at the awed looks on their faces. “We have an endless supply of food and ammunition. If necessary, this fortress could stand a lifelong siege.” 

“But who built this place?” Nya asked. “And aren't there other ways of getting inside?” 

“The fortress was built by the first generation of elemental masters- Kouki, Neve,Terra, Raiden,Thetys, Sterling, Dritan, Selene and Luna, Theia and Mayumi, Moriko, Belladonna, Hibiki, Hayato, Cronus, Murphy, Skia, Mallory, Vuelta, Celia, Velocità, Kemuri, Agnosta and Faven.” Aileen replied. “Each of them played an important part in making the fortress impregnable. This place has magical protection strong enough to keep out even the Overlord, if necessary.” 

“As for other ways, there is a secret passageway, but it is known only to my family.” Adelaide continued. “The only other way in is from the other side of the fortress, but that entrance is small and equally well guarded.” 

The small group landed their dragons in front of the walls and hopped off. As they walked towards the doors, a soldier on the wall shouted “The countesses have arrived! Open the gates!” 

The gates swung upon and they entered the fortress. Adelaide led the way to the tallest building, the Hall of Relics, which was surrounded by many other smaller buildings. As the they approached it, the door of one of the other buildings opened and two people rushed out. 

“Della!” a fourteen year old boy with silvery hair and grey eyes cried as he ran towards them. “Where were you? We were so worried!” 

“I'm sorry I disappeared, Lee.” Adelaide pulled him into a hug. “I wouldn't have gone if I didn't have to.” 

“You needn't have gone alone though.” A young man, about the same age as Adelaide had now walked up to them. He had dark brown hair with a single red streak and dark brown eyes. “I thought I told you not to leave on your own.” he spoke in a low, deep voice. 

Adelaide turned towards him.“And I thought that since I am ruler of this valley I could do whatever I want, Duncan.” she retorted. She turned back to the ninja. “Everyone, meet my cousin Lee, master of Moonlight, and Duncan, my personal guard and most trusted friend. ” 

“Personal guard without whom you are not supposed to leave the valley.” Duncan muttered. “You left without telling anyone, Adelaide.” 

“I left a note!” Adelaide looked annoyed. 

“And what if you were attacked?” Duncan asked her, also looking annoyed. 

 “I can defend myself just fine, thank you very much.” Adelaide snapped. 

Before either of them could say more, Aileen interrupted them. 

“How about you two continue fighting later? We have a bloodline to trace and a villain to catch.

“Bloodline?” Lee asked, sounding confused. “What bloodline?” 

Adelaide took a deep breath and then looked directly at Duncan. “The line of Darkness.” 

Duncan looked panicky for a second. Then he frowned. “I thought that line died out.” 

“Well you thought wrong.” Aileen told him. “Let's go guys! Time's a wastin.” She began to walk towards the hall and the ninja, Lee and Echo followed her, with Duncan and Adelaide bringing up the rear.

Aileen walked up to the door and typed a pin into the keypad next to it. The doors clicked and she pushed them open. The others followed her inside a long hallway with a high ceiling. 

The hallway was lined with doors on each side. Every door had a different symbol on it - a book, a sword, an opened scroll, a key, and many others. The symbols glowed with a faint golden light. The hall itself was lit by golden lamps which floated on their own. 

“Welcome,” said Aileen “to the Hall of Relics, home to Ninjago’s most powerful and dangerous secrets.” She walked to a door with a the symbol of a tree on it and opened it. “This way please.”

 The ninja walked through the door and immediately found themselves floating two feet above the ground. 

 “What the-” Cole began but immediately bumped into Zane, who had stopped moving when he realized that he was no longer on solid ground. 

“Is this normal?” Jay asked Lee, who had just walked in and floated up beside him. 

“Completely normal. You may be floating, but it works the same way as walking on normal ground.” Lee assured him.

 “Besides,” said Adelaide, who had just entered, “if you weren't floating, you wouldn't get a closer look at that.” She pointed behind them. 

Everyone turned and saw at least fifty long, thin, silvery cords dangling from the ceiling, all originating from one central point. Each of them bore hundreds of leaves of different colors, some of which glowed faintly. The cords crisscrossed this way and that, forming branches and even merging with other lines with no definite pattern. Every leaf bore a word and a small symbol. In fact the words looked a lot like….

“Names!” Kai exclaimed, looking closely at the leaf. “They're names. But whose names are these?” 

“Zane, come over here! I've found your name!” Cole exclaimed.

“And look Nya, here's yours and Kai's! Your parents’ names are here too!” Jay yelled, waving from the other side of the room. 

“Cole! COLE! Your name's here too!” Nya shouted. “But why are our names here anyways?” she asked. 

“Hold on a second. All of you guys are elemental masters, right? ” Echo asked.

“Yeah…” Lloyd slowly replied. “That means..” 

“It's a family tree of the elemental masters!” Echo finished. 

The ninja froze. All of them stared at Adelaide and Aileen, who were floating in a corner, smiling. 

“Oh, don't look so surprised.” said Adelaide. “Keeping a track of all elemental masters is one of our many duties. Using this tree, we can pinpoint the location of any elemental master as long as their name is here.” 

“The families of every elemental master are recorded in the Tree of Elements.” Aileen continued. “The only incomplete line is the line of Darkness.” 

“But how do you know all this?” Lloyd asked, still looking confused. 

“Usually, when an elemental master is born, their name appears on the Tree.” Lee spoke for the first time since they had entered the room. “But according to legend, in order to protect themselves, the line of Darkness used their powers to shield themselves from the Tree's view.” 

“But if you don't have the family tree, how do we find out which elemental master is responsible?” Zane asked. 

“From their last name. The last name of every family in Ninjago is written in the Books of Records.” Duncan said. He'd been so quiet, the others forgot he was there.

He floated towards a line which did not join any other line. Every leaf was a glossy dark brown in color and the names were written in silver. He looked at the last leaf on it. “Yami. Michio Yami.” he said. He turned to the others. “I heard that he left to live in the hills with his grandson.” 

“Then it won't be easy to find them.” Aileen found. “Although Yami is an uncommon name, if he's left civilization, his family will be hard to find.” 

Before anyone could suggest something, a tune began to play loudly. Everyone jumped, if it was possible to jump while floating. 

Adelaide rummaged in her pocket and pulled out her phone. She frowned. “It's Elara. Why would she call me?” She put the call on speakerphone. 

“My lady!” Elara sounded rather nervous. “We have a problem here at the manor. Could you please come over immediately?” 

“Slow down, Elara!” Adelaide said, now looking confused. “What do you mean by ‘a problem’?” 

“I can't explain it. We need you here immediately.” Elara sounded almost frightened.“And do not bring anyone with you! Come alone!” With that, she hung up. 

Everyone was silent. “No one, ”Adelaide muttered, “No one hangs up on the countess.” She slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to Aileen. “Something's wrong at the manor.”

“I got that too, but what worries me is Elara’s behavior.” Aileen told her. “She's usually very calm. I've never heard her sound like that.” 

“Could it be a trap?” Duncan suggested. “Elara would never betray you, I'm sure, but maybe someone forced her to make that call.” 

“But who would do that Duncan?” Lee asked. “We have no enemies.” 

“None that we know of.” Adelaide told him. She turned to Duncan. “Could it be…?” 

“Impossible. Why would she attack here?” Duncan now looked alarmed. “I'm not even sure if she's alive!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who's ‘she’ ?” Jay asked. 

“Someone I haven't met in a long time.” Duncan replied quietly. 

“I think it's best if I go.” Adelaide said. The others began to protest but she continued saying, “Elara specifically called me. Isla can't fly and I'm not sending Lee. None of you guys know the way.” 

“Except me.” Duncan said.

“But you can't fly.” Kai pointed out. “Are you sure about this, Della?” 

“I'm sure. Besides, I'm not going alone.” Adelaide smiled. “Duncan, come with me. The others can check the Books of Records.” 

Duncan shrugged. “Let's go then.” 

They floated to the door and left, followed by the ninja. 

“Do you think there's a major problem at the manor?” Cole asked Aileen as she led the way towards another door. 

“Nah. It's probably just a false alarm.” Aileen replied as they walked into another room, filled with books from roof to floor. Little did she know how wrong she was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No spoilers, but the next chapter will have a lot more action. This fanfic isn't going to be a short one so stay tuned! Also, if you like, I can post the list of the original elemental masters with their elements and the meanings of their names on my Tumblr blog! Please leave feedback! Thanks for reading!


	6. Strangers in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Aileen, Echo Zane, Lee and the ninja stayed back in the Hall of Relics to try and locate the elemental master of Darkness, Adelaide and Duncan fly back to the manor. Little did they know that an old enemy awaited them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating the fic sooner. But don't worry, because I'm back and will be updating more frequently from now onwards

It was late in the night. Aileen, Echo, Lee and the ninja were flipping through books in the ‘Y’ section, hoping to find the name Yami in the records. All of them were wondering how Adelaide and Duncan were getting on. 

After half an hour of searching, Lee spoke up. “Something's not right.” 

The others looked up from their books. “What do you mean?” Kai asked. “Did you find something?” 

“No. I just… I have this feeling that something is about to go wrong.” Lee replied. 

“Maybe it's because you're tired and sleepy.” Lloyd suggested. 

“Me? Sleepy? At night?” The young master of Moonlight laughed. “On the contrary, I'm stronger and more alert at night.” 

“Well, maybe you're right.” Nya put down her book. She looked at Aileen. “Is there no way of watching what's happening in the manor?” 

“Let me think…. Hold on. There are cameras placed in the manor. If we could connect them to the computer in Lee's room, we could easily see what's happening there. ”

“Then let's move!” Zane collected everyone's books and placed them on the table. They ran out of the Hall, with Lee leading the way to his room, hoping that nothing had gone wrong.

* * *

 

Adelaide and Duncan were flying back to Ninjago. Having made the journey many times before, Adelaide swiftly navigated her dragon through the twisting valley. 

“Do you think it's her?” she asked quietly, looking forward as they sped through the valley. 

“I don't know.” Duncan replied.   “I hope it isn't. The last time I saw her was thirteen years ago, and I'd rather fight the Overlord himself than see her again.” 

Adelaide turned to look at Duncan, as she navigated her dragon by thought, a trick she had learned years ago. 

“Duncan, even if it is her, I know you won't fail.” she said. “I trust you.”

“You may trust me, but I don't.” He sighed. “If it could overpower her, couldn't the same happen to me?”

“It overpowered her because she allowed it to,” she said, “Not because she couldn't fight it.” 

“Besides, we aren't defined by our talents, but by our choices to use them. She made her choice, you made yours.” 

“Well let's just hope that nothing major is happening at the manor.” He smiled. “I'd hate for anything to go wrong on the day you return.” 

“We'll find out in a moment,” Adelaide replied, as she landed her dragon in the little yard behind the manor. “No weapons. And  make no sound.” 

“That won't help much because the manor is well lit.” Duncan pointed out. 

“Leave that to me.” Adelaide said. She snapped her fingers. At first nothing seemed to happen. Then suddenly, the two of them turned invisible.

“How about now?” She asked. Duncan could see her, but only just. 

He laughed. “You're amazing.” 

“I know right?” she said as she opened the door. “Now, we move in silence.” She walked through the door and he followed. 

* * *

 

Back at the Hall of Relics, the ninja and Aileen were waiting in Lee's room, watching him type a long password into his computer to gain access to the manor’s security cameras. 

“Are you sure you remembered the code?” Aileen asked him nervously. 

“Yes, I'm sure!” Lee answered shortly without turning away from the computer, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “Just a few more digits….. ” 

“I wonder how they're getting on.” Aileen said. “They've probably reached by now.” 

“Already? It took us nearly an hour to get here.” Cole remarked. 

“And it's night!” Jay added. “They can't even see the way.” 

Aileen smiled. “My sister and I could navigate through these hills blindfolded, Jay. And she can move a lot faster when she's own her own.” 

“We're connected!” Lee exclaimed.  “Checking the corridor cameras.” 

The ninja crowded around him.

“I don't see anything.” Echo said. “Are the corridors always this empty?” 

“We have guards posted in certain places.” Aileen replied.

“Well they've all disappeared.” Kai remarked. 

“I don't see Duncan and Adelaide either.” Nya noted. 

“She's probably turned them both invisible.” Lee said. 

“Check the bedrooms!” Jay  suggested.

“All clear.” Lee replied. 

“Dining hall?” Zane asked.

“Empty.” 

“Kitchen!” Cole said. 

“Nope!” 

“Library!” Lloyd suggested. 

“No one. Let me check the entrance hall. ” Lee opened another screen, where two figures had suddenly appeared. 

“There they are!” Cole exclaimed. 

“They're heading for the courtroom! Check the courtroom!” Aileen said, now feeling alarmed. “It's the only room we didn't check!” 

“On it.” Lee opened the last screen. He gasped. “Holy First Spinjitzu Master…” 

“We have to warn them!” Zane said, looking horrified. 

“There's no point! They're already there!” Echo pointed out. 

* * *

 

Adelaide and Duncan ran through the corridors. So far, they'd met no one, not even a guard. The manor seemed to be completely empty. 

“There had better be a good explanation for all of this.” Duncan muttered.

“You'll have to wait.” Adelaide told him. “Everyone seems to have vanished.” 

“What do you suggest we do then?” Duncan asked her. 

“Check the courtroom. Maybe they're there.” 

They walked into the entrance hall, which was deserted, just like the other rooms. Adelaide snapped her fingers and the two of them became visible again. 

“Invisibility is of no use.” she said. “The manor seems to be empty. I just hope it's not an attack…” 

She pushed open the doors and they walked into the courtroom. Adelaide's gaze immediately fell on the Elara, the guards and the servants, all of whom had been tied up. Four warriors stood guard. One of them, who had short light green hair and greenish lips, was definitely a woman. While their appearance was similar to that of ghosts, they had solid bodies, just like regular people. The only difference was that they gave off a greenish glow, just like a ghost would. Each of them was well armed. 

Duncan, on the other hand was glaring at the thrones, one of which was now occupied. A woman reclined in Adelaide's throne. She was dressed in dark brown robes with elaborate silver designs. Her long, dark hair, which was streaked with red, fell loosely around her face. Her dark brown eyes gleamed and she rose on seeing them. 

“Lady Adelaide! I'm honored to finally meet you.” The woman walked towards them, smiling. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Layla Yami, and I am the elemental master of Darkness.” 

Duncan unsheathed his twin swords. “Take one more step forward Layla, and I'll slice off your head.” 

Layla's froze at his words. She studied him for a moment. Then her eyes widened. 

“Well, well, well. I never thought I'd be meeting you here, Duncan.” She gave a half-smile. “You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you. How long ago was it?”

“Thirteen years.” Duncan replied. He gritted his teeth. “I've waited a long time to get my revenge.” 

Before he could rush forward  Adelaide raised her hand in front of him, holding him back. “Now is not the time for revenge.” she told him. “Let me deal with her.” 

Adelaide looked at Layla. “What is your purpose for visiting Himitsu? And why did you attack my people?” 

“I came to see you, Adelaide!” Layla gave her another smile. “I'm raising an army of undead elemental masters on the Dark Island so I can rule over Ninjago!” 

Adelaide looked exasperated. “Why do you want to rule over Ninjago? Couldn't you find some other realm to conquer? In case you weren't aware, there's at least 13 other realms that you could conquer! And it's LADY Adelaide to you!” 

“For revenge! The people of this land refused to let my family live in peace!” Layla screamed back. Her eyes blazed with anger. “So many of my family have died at the hands of the elemental masters.” 

Adelaide crossed her arms. “May I remind you that the only elemental masters that were killed were the ones that tried to harm others. Also, I fail to see what this has to do with me.” 

Layla gave her a twisted smile. “Well you see, raising an entire undead army requires magical energy and I do not have enough. You on the other hand, are an elemental master of Magic, which means that you are a never-ending source of magical energy.” 

Adelaide looked surprised. She raised a brow. “You're asking me to help you raise your army? Because if you are, my answer is no.” 

Layla shrugged. “I never said I'd be giving you a choice.” 

Duncan, who had been leaning on the door all this time, straightened. “Do we fight?” he asked Adelaide. 

Adelaide's hands blazed with magical energy. Her mouth curved into a smile. “We fight.” 

* * *

 

Aileen, Echo and the ninja were crowded around the computer, listening to the discussion in the courtroom. 

“You hear this?” Lee looked at Aileen. “Duncan's got a history with Layla.”

“But why didn't he tell us that he already knew the elemental master of Darkness?” Echo asked. 

“Della doesn't look very surprised either.” Cole noted. 

“As if she already knew about her…..” Aileen mused. “Those two are hiding something.” 

“But why?” Kai asked. “If they already knew the elemental master of Darkness, why didn't they just say so?” 

Aileen shrugged. “There's a reason they call my sister the Keeper of Secrets.” 

“Oh wow, they're dueling now!” Lee remarked, his eyes fixed on the screen. 

“Shouldn't we go there?” Nya asked. “They may need help.”

“Well, Lee's the only one who can fly and knows the way and he's not going alone.” Aileen replied. “It'll take us over an hour to get there if we all go. We're better off waiting.” 

“Della certainly can fight.” Lloyd noted as Adelaide blasted a hole in the floor where Layla had been standing. “Her powers remind me of my own.” 

“Maybe, but they're different in one important way.” Aileen told him, as Adelaide blocked a blast from Layla by creating a temporary magical shield. 

“Oh really? How?” Lloyd asked. 

“Your element is energy, which is tame and can be harnessed in certain ways. Adelaide's is magical energy, a living and almost sentient force.” Aileen explained. “You have to learn to control and harness it before it destroys you. There are countless ways of using magical energy - in energy blasts, to power a process like Layla wants, telekinesis, to disguise yourself or change your form, to shield yourself, to control others - you can do pretty much anything with it if you have control over it.” 

“What's the catch?” Jay asked. 

Aileen smiled. “The catch is that it must be continuously used. If built up magical energy is not released, it could tear the person apart. Which is why my sister tries to avoid contact with Vengestone.” 

“Vengestone? Doesn't that prevent you from using your elemental powers?” Cole asked. 

“For any other elemental master, yes.” Aileen replied. “But if Adelaide were trapped in Vengestone, her magical energy would build up with no way of getting out. This would result in the energy exploding out of her, possibly killing her, or her turning into an energy crystal, which is an eternal source of energy. Cyrus Borg owns one such crystal.” 

All this time, Zane had been silently watching the fight. “Those undead warriors simply cannot be defeated. Even when Duncan stabbed them, or sliced of their arms and limbs, they reform and return to the fight in a minute.” 

“Just like the Vermillion Warriors!” Nya remarked. 

“Well, those two had better come up with an idea to stop them or they'll soon be overrun, ” said Lee. 

* * *

 

In the courtroom, Duncan had realized this problem. Despite all his efforts, Layla's undead warriors couldn't be defeated. 

“Adelaide? We have a problem!” he said, as he kicked backed one warrior and sliced of another one's head. 

“What is it?” Adelaide asked, who was trying to blast Layla away as she and Adelaide matched energy streams. 

“These warriors! They refuse to die!” Duncan said as he sliced a third warrior in half. 

Adelaide, who had just sent Layla flying towards the wall, turned around and blasted one of the warriors, who immediately crumbled into ashes. 

“They can't stand energy blasts!” Adelaide exclaimed. “Switch partners!” 

“Are you sure? You know I haven't-” Duncan began to say. He was interrupted when Layla, who had recovered from Adelaide's blast, aimed a dark energy blast at him, sending him flying towards a wall. He fell to the floor, knocked out. 

“Duncan!” Adelaide ran toward him but Layla aimed another dark energy blast at her and she fell to the ground. 

“Is she dead?” the green haired woman asked. 

“No, Nightshade. That was just to knock her out. She'll be asleep for at least five or six hours.” Layla scooped up Adelaide's limp form in her arms and began to walk to the door. “Our work here is done. But before we leave, destroy that camera. The show is over.” 

The warrior called Nightshade bowed to her and then grabbed another warrior's bow. She fired an arrow at the camera, destroying it instantly, and then she and the others followed Layla out of the room. 

* * *

 

Back in Lee's room, the ninja and Echo stood staring at the blank computer screen, paralyzed with shock. Aileen sat down in a chair, her head in her hands. Lee looked like he was fighting back tears. 

They'd been sitting there in silence for ten minutes when suddenly, a tune rang out. Everyone looked confused. Aileen looked up and then began to dig in her pockets, realizing that the sound was coming from her phone. She pulled it out. 

“Who is it?” asked Echo. 

“It's Duncan.” Aileen sighed and put it on speakerphone so that the others could hear. 

“Hello?” she said. 

“Aileen. Whatever you do, do not leave the Hall of Relics. I'm on my way now.” 

Aileen looked confused. “On the way? Duncan what do you mean?” 

“I need to…  well, I have a lot to explain,” Duncan replied, his voice shaky. “but I can't do it over the phone. Just…. stay where you are. I'll be there soon.” 

And before Aileen could say anything, he hung up


	7. The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan returns to the Hall of Relics and opens up about his past, after which Aileen sends out the call of the elemental masters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one chapter wasn't very long but I PROMISE that the next chapter will have more content.  
> Happy reading!

Everyone was still startled by Duncan's phone call. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise, lighting up the green hills. In the distance you could see the fields, stretching out into the distance. Tiny houses dotted the hills and the valley. Rivers and streams gleamed far away. 

Lee's room was on the second floor and had windows facing all directions, giving it a beautiful view of the valley. Aileen walked to the window that faced the entrance to the valley. She gasped.

“Holy First Spinjitzu Master….Is that…?” She didn't complete her sentence. Lee joined her at the window, followed by Echo. They looked at the dark, glowing creature which was flying in the direction of the fortress. 

“That's an elemental dragon!” Lee cried. 

“And Duncan's riding it!” Echo added. 

Aileen dashed out of the room, followed by Echo, Lee and the ninja. They flew down the stairs and through the door, heading for the main gate. 

“Open the gates!” Aileen told the guards. “Let him in!” 

The guards did as they were told and hauled the gates open. Duncan entered and began to walk up the path, a determined look on his face. 

“Duncan, what is going on?” Aileen asked him. “Why did you never tell me that you were an elemental master? And how do you know Layla?”

“I'll explain everything. But first, I need to visit the Tree of Elements.” He stopped in front of the door to the Hall of Relics. 

Aileen typed the pin into the keypad once more and opened the door. They ran to the door with the tree symbol and entered the room once more. Duncan floated directly towards the incomplete line of Darkness. 

“Um, Duncan, what are you doing?” Lee asked. 

“Watch.” he replied. He grabbed the last leaf, the one bearing Michio Yami’s name and closed his eyes. Suddenly, silver cords began to extend from the leaf and new leaves appeared. 

“He's completing the line!” Aileen said softly. 

Everyone moved closer, watching the new names appear. The line ended in two leaves. Duncan backed away so that the others could read the names inscribed on them : Layla and Duncan. 

For a moment no one said anything. Everyone was paralyzed with shock. Lee and Aileen looked at Duncan as though he had dropped from the sky. The ninja were too shocked to speak. Echo's mouth hung open. 

Aileen was the first to recover. She looked at Duncan, an expression of worry on her face. Then she spoke.

“Let's all go outside into the sunlight. We'll hear your explanation there.” She floated towards the door and left the room. The others followed her. 

They all trooped outside and stood in front of the entrance to their Hall of Relics, giving Duncan expecting looks. 

Aileen looked at him and spoke. “Begin.” 

Duncan took a deep breath and said, “Our family lived in the hills on a small farm to avoid persecution. My father trained Layla and me to use our powers so that we could defend ourselves and help others when necessary. Layla is my older sister. Once upon a time, she used to be a regular person. But, when she was around ten years old, she began to show signs of the Devourer’s venom. My parents were aware of this. Most members of the line of Darkness were peaceful people. But in some, the venom of the Great Devourer somehow resurfaced, urging them to misuse their powers and slowly taking control of them. Layla was one such person. My parents tried to teach her to control the urge but she didn't try. I don't think she wanted to. 

“Layla grew stronger and more aggressive as the days passed. My parents never allowed her to go anywhere alone, nor did they allow her to use her powers very often. Layla knew that my parents would never allow her to leave our home in the mountains. She hated being imprisoned. One night, she finally cracked.” Duncan drew a shaky breath. “She murdered our parents in their sleep. I woke up when I heard the noise. At that time, I was only ten years old. Layla was fifteen. I…. I was afraid that she'd kill me too. So I fled. I summoned my elemental dragon, which my father had already taught me to do, and I flew for a day until I reached this valley. One of the palace guards, Luken Senshi found me and raised me as his own son. I never told him or anybody else about my elemental powers.”

He paused at the looks of shock on their faces. “Look, I never expected to see Layla again. I wasn't even aware that she was alive.” He looked at Aileen. “I spent most of my time at the manor, with you and Adelaide. The three of us played and trained together. I joined the noble guard when I was old enough and worked my way up to my current position as Adelaide's personal guard.” 

“So you're saying that no one knew that you were an elemental master of Darkness?” Lloyd asked. 

Duncan sighed. “Adelaide did. But she found out on her own. I never meant to tell her. She was also the only one who knew about Layla.” 

“How did she find out?” asked Aileen, now looking slightly amused. 

“Adelaide is the only person who can see the past, right? Well she'd seen how Mayumi became the elemental master of Darkness. And she's the only one who knows that this-” he pointed to the dark red streak in his hair, “-is something all elemental masters of Darkness are born with.”

“Go on… ” urged Lee.

“Back then, I used to dye the streaks so that no one would find out. Unfortunately, three years ago, Adelaide walked in on me dyeing my hair, and demanded an explanation. I told her everything. For a moment, I thought she was going to have me executed or at least banished. Instead, she promised to keep it a secret.”

“That would explain why she wasn't surprised when she met Layla.” Aileen sighed. “And now, she's been kidnapped. Layla's probably chained her up in Vengestone so that she can start using her magical energy.” 

“We have to stop her, or she'll raise her undead army.” Nya said. 

“Speaking of undead warriors, I realized later that they were elemental masters, Aileen.” Duncan told her. “The ones who turned. If Layla hadn't been so busy fighting Adelaide, she'd have ordered them to use their elemental powers against me.” 

“Those guys were hard enough to defeat even without their elemental powers!” Kai remarked. 

“And there'll be more of them!” Jay added. 

“She's only raising evil elemental masters though.” Zane noted. “How many elemental masters were evil?” 

“Around forty.” Aileen told him. “And none of them were easy to defeat. I remember my uncle Clouse…”

“Clouse is your uncle?” Cole yelped. 

Aileen winced. “He was my mother's oldest brother. He was banished under the charges of treason, after which he went to train under Chen. He gave us plenty of trouble. Thankfully, he was defeated by Sensei Garmadon, who sent him to the Cursed Realm.” 

“Imagine if all the evil elemental masters came back and formed an army! They'd be unstoppable!” Lee exclaimed. 

“In that case, we'll need our own army to make sure that Layla's plan does not succeed.” Echo pointed out. 

Aileen and Duncan exchanged glances. “We may have an army.” she said, and walked back inside. The others followed her. 

Aileen headed for the Tree of Elements. As soon as they entered the room, they were lifted up into the air. Aileen floated towards the side, where a small, silver button gleamed on the wall. 

“I never thought I'd be doing this…” she muttered. She held down the button, took a deep breath and spoke, not directly, but in their minds.

“Hello. I am Countess Aileen, assistant ruler of the valley of Himitsu, located in the foothills of the Wailing Alps. If you can hear me, then you are probably an elemental master. Our ancestors received their elemental powers from the First Spinjitzu Master, along with the duty to protect Ninjago. As their descendants, the duty of protecting Ninjago is now yours.” 

She took a deep breath and continued. “Layla, the elemental master of Darkness has arisen. She means to raise an army of evil undead elemental masters to conquer Ninjago. She must be stopped. As an elemental master, you are honor bound to protect Ninjago. I, along with the ninja, await you in Himitsu. Hurry. We are running out of time.” 

She lifted her hand from the button and sighed. “We can only hope that the elemental masters will answer the call. Even if they do, it'll take at least half a day for them to arrive.” 

Nya placed a hand on her shoulder. “You've done all you can. Besides, when the whole of Ninjago is at stake, the elemental masters will help. They are, after all, our friends.” 

The little group left the Hall of Relics, summoned their elemental dragons, and flew back to Himitsu. Meanwhile, far away, on the Dark Island, Adelaide smiled in her sleep, knowing that her friends were coming to help her. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated


	8. Escape Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Aileen, Duncan, Echo and the ninja try to come up with a plan to rescue Adelaide, far away on the Dark Island, Adelaide attempts to thwart Layla's plans and escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have made this clear before, but for those of you who are wondering why this fic is devoid of ship content, it's because I'd rather avoid all the drama of having ships in my fic, canon or otherwise. I may include my OC ships, but I will not be including ships for the preexisting Ninjago characters.

The living room in the House of Elements was usually a happy place, filled with pleasant memories and an air of comfort and joy. But even these couldn't cheer up the group of people that were occupying it that morning.

Aileen paced up and down the living room, sipping her third cup of tea that morning. She and the others had just finished having their breakfast and were now waiting for the elemental masters to arrive. Lee had stumbled to his bedroom and fallen asleep, exhausted from the events of the previous night.

Despite having stayed up all night and watching her sister being kidnapped by an evil sorceress, Aileen hadn't yet lost her energy. Distressed as she was, she refused to give up. Especially with Adelaide's life at stake.

Nobody else really felt like sleeping either. Jay sat between Nya and Cole on the couch, all three of them looking tired. Zane and Echo stood to one side of the room, discussing matters in low voices. Lloyd stood by a window, staring into the distance. Kai sat in an armchair, gazing at the ball of fire that lay in his palm.

Duncan stood alone by the fireplace, arms crossed, staring into the flames. He'd barely spoken after his explanation of everything that had happened. Talking about his past couldn't have been easy for him, especially after everything that had happened.

“I wonder how Adelaide's doing…” he mused aloud. The others looked up.

“What is the longest period of time that an elemental master of Magic has survived when chained in Vengestone?” asked Lloyd, turning away from the window.

“I suppose it depends on the amount of Vengestone present. If there isn't too much Vengestone, it's approximately ten days if magical energy is regularly removed and the prisoner is treated well.” Aileen replied quietly.

“And without?” asked Kai.

“That would depend on the amount of Vengestone but it's usually five hours or less,” said Aileen.

“That's the exact amount of time that has passed since Layla's attack.” Echo noted.

“If only we could communicate with her…” Nya sighed.

“There may be a way.” Duncan remarked. “I have an idea.”

Everyone sat up. “Really? What is it?” asked Cole.

“Well I don't know about communication, but I think I know how we can keep an eye on Adelaide.”

“Go on. This sounds interesting.” said Jay.

“Well, back when Adelaide disappeared in search of the source of the magical radiation, I started experimenting with my powers to try and track her down.”

“And….?” Kai asked.

Duncan shrugged. “I couldn't because at the time, Adelaide was shielding herself from magical detection. But now, we know where she is. So I thought that maybe, I could-”

“Use your powers to see what's going on!” Aileen finished. “Do it now! We need to see if she's alright!”

“Okay, give me a moment.” Duncan told her. He summoned a ball of dark energy and then moved his hands apart so that it grew bigger until it was a little larger than a beach ball.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the ball of energy turned into a holographic image in which they could see a glowing Adelaide, lying on a bed inside what looked like a large cage, probably made of Vengestone.

“You did it!” Jay exclaimed.

“Shh!” Echo told him. “She's waking up…..”

* * *

 Far away, on the Dark Island, Adelaide had woken up, her head throbbing. As she lay there, she remembered the events of last night, how the manor had been attacked and how she'd been defeated.

She sat up, wondering for a moment about her whereabouts. She lay on a bed which had been placed in the center of a large cage, which was situated at one side of an even larger room. Although no lamps had been lit, the room was illuminated by a soft purplish glow. With a start, Adelaide realized that that the purplish light was coming from her.

“Oh no…” she muttered and looked at her hands, which had turned purple and were glowing. She slid off the bed, walked to the side of the cage and examined the cage bars, which were definitely made of Vengestone.

“That's not good…”

“Good morning!” said a familiar voice. Adelaide spun around. The lights were suddenly switched on, blinding her. She squinted and looked around. There, standing a few feet away was Layla. “Slept well?” she asked.

“What have you done with my friends?” asked Adelaide. “And where am I?”

“Your friends are alright. Unless you're asking about my brother.” Layla shrugged. “He's dead. As for where you are, you're at my headquarters on the Dark Island, and you are going to help me raise my undead army.”

Adelaide clenched her jaw. “Over my dead body.”

Layla laughed. “I'd rather that didn't happen. Besides, you don't have much of a choice. A few more minutes and the energy trapped inside your body will explode out of you.”

“And what if I refuse to coordinate?” Adelaide asked. “You can't take my energy if I don't want you to have it.”

Layla's expression hardened. “Then I'll take it out on your family.”

Adelaide look horrified. “You wouldn't,” she whispered.

“Oh yes I would.” Layla's nostrils flared. “I've done it before, I'll do it again. Who poisoned your mother? I did. Who killed your father and uncle when they were traveling back from Ninjago City? I did. Who murdered your aunt when she set out to avenge her brother and brother-in-law? I did. I've been planning this for a very long time and I will not let you ruin it.

“As for being rescued, the island and the sea are covered with magical defenses all the way till Lighthouse Island. This island cannot be accessed by flying or sailing. Your friends wouldn't stand a chance.”

Adelaide trembled. She gripped the cage bars, trying to steady herself. Without her powers and with no one to depend on, she suddenly felt very helpless. She was not only dealing with an evil and powerful sorceress, but also a murderer. Layla had murdered her parents. Her uncle Corvin, her mother's older brother, who had taught her the language of animals. Her aunt Mizuki, Lee's mother and her father's little sister, who had taught her how to summon her elemental dragon. She'd murdered Duncan's parents too. If what Layla said was true, Duncan, her closest friend, was dead as well. And he'd died trying to protect her.

 _This is not the time to mourn the dead_ , she thought to herself. _There are worse things to worry about right now._

That was true. Adelaide emanated purple light. Her entire body ached. She could barely stand. If she didn't release the energy building up inside her, it would explode out of her and kill her. On the other hand, she couldn't let Layla raise her army and destroy Ninjago either.

She looked around. She noticed now that there was a glass tube leading away from her Vengestone prison to a darker glass enclosure, where she assumed the warriors would appear. Exactly like every other energy extraction machine built to steal magical energy from masters of Magic. Memories of her mother's training flashed in her mind.

Adelaide put on an exhausted face, which wasn't that hard, and sighed. “Alright,” she said to Layla, “you win. I can't hold on for much longer though, so be quick.”

Layla nodded. “That's more like it,” she said and walked over to a control pad near the enclosure. She pressed a few buttons and then pulled down a lever.

Immediately, Adelaide was lifted into the air. She could see her energy flowing out of her and up the glass tube. For a moment she wondered if her plan would succeed. Then she remembered her mother's words. _Focus. Don't hold back. Don't fight it. Let go of everything._

She concentrated on pushing out her magical energy even faster than it was moving. Energy now flowed out in greater amounts, making the room brighter. The glass tube began to crack, barely able to contain the amount of energy flowing through it. In the darker glass enclosure, the warriors that had begun to form were now falling apart again.

“WHAT are you doing?” Layla demanded.

Adelaide smirked. “You wanted my power? I'm giving you ALL of it!”

She closed her eyes and concentrated harder. She could now hear the glass cracking. The undead warriors, who had just begun to form in the dark glass enclosure, were screaming. Layla was yelling at her to stop. The glass tube above her exploded, as did the enclosure.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, she stopped. The weightless feeling passed and she fell, missing the bed, onto the floor. Glass shards rained down on her, most of them missing her. She heard footsteps and decided to lie still.

Layla was not amused. The undead warriors she had been trying to summon had exploded, as had the collection tube and summoning enclosure. She would have to rebuild all of it, which wasn't very hard, but was still pretty inconvenient.

She looked at Adelaide, who now lay motionless on the floor. Layla reached through the cave to check whether she was alive when suddenly Adelaide sprang up and grabbed it, pulling it backwards with all her strength. Nightshade, the guard who had been standing by the door ran over and swung her dagger at Adelaide's hand, who yelped and let go of Layla's arm, which was now bent at an odd angle.

Adelaide sat down on the bed and cradled her bleeding arm. For a moment Layla thought she was trembling from the pain. Then she realized that the master of Magic was silently laughing.

“Why are you laughing?” Layla asked her, confused by Adelaide's strange behavior.  
“Because-” Adelaide took a deep breath, shaking slightly, “-you cut me with a poisoned sword! She's a master of Poison, isn't she? Thanks to her, I'll die soon and you won't be able to raise your army!” She fell back on the bed, laughing in earnest.

Layla glared at Nightshade. “Don't just stand there! Remove the poison!”

Nightshade glared back at Layla before opening Adelaide's cell door and walking inside. When she was close enough, Adelaide sprang up and kicked her into the cage door before bolting from her prison. She blasted a surprised Layla out of the way and ran out of the room and through a long passage, blasting undead warriors as she went. She would have made it out of Layla's camp if not for another undead elemental master, who came up behind her and hit her on the head with his metal hands, knocking her unconscious.

The undead elemental master of Metal studied her and then shouted, “I've got her, Layla!”

Layla walked up to them and looked at her unconscious prisoner. “Well done, Mercer. If it hadn't been for you, our energy source would have escaped.” She turned and looked at Nightshade, who had now recovered.

“Heal her quickly, and then give her a dose of something that will keep her asleep for the next 10 hours or so.”

Nightshade nodded, scooped up Adelaide's limp form in her arms, and left. Layla turned back to Mercer. “I'll need you to make some changes to our prisoner’s cell. Forge two, heavy Vengestone chains. I don't want her escaping again.”

Mercer bowed and left. Layla returned to the room, healing her injured arm with dark magic.

* * *

“Well-” said Kai, as the hologram disappeared and they all sat back, “-that was something.”

Aileen looked positively furious. She paced up and down the room. “Layla murdered my parents, my uncle and Lee's mom. And she kidnapped my sister. She may have got away before, but she won't get away this time.”

“At least Della's alive.” Nya pointed out. “Even if she didn't escape, we know that she's alright.”

“For now.” Zane remarked. “She's actively attempting to get killed.”

“Well she's thwarted Layla's attempts once, but she won't be able to do it again.” Duncan noted. “Layla will ensure it doesn't happen.”

“We have to get my sister out of there.” said Aileen. “The way she's going, she won't last very long. Maybe a week.”

“But first we'll have to figure out how. Layla spoke about defenses around the island.” Lloyd told her. “We'll need the elemental masters to stop Layla.”

“I have an idea for how we could communicate with Della.” Jay said.

“Really?” Cole asked. “That's a surprise.”

Jay made a face at Cole.

“We could send Zane's falcon! He can relay our messages to Della!”

Cole rolled his eyes. “That's brilliant and all, but you're forgetting the defenses that Layla mentioned. She said that the island couldn't be accessed by flying or sailing.”

“How about sending the falcon to Lighthouse Island?” Lloyd suggested. “It can keep a lookout from there.”

“That's a good idea, but it still doesn't solve the problem of us getting to the island,” Kai pointed out. “We could fly to Lighthouse Island along with the other elemental masters on the Destiny's Bounty, but how're we going to reach the Dark Island?”

“Leave that to me,” Duncan told him. “I may have a way.”

Zane rose. “I'll inform my falcon right now. The sooner it leaves, the better.” He left the room.

“Well, at least we've got something ready,” said Aileen, now looking slightly optimistic. “But we aren't done yet. I know plenty about the elemental masters of Magic, but right now we need an expert. It's time we visited an old friend.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave feedback - even if you find this fanfic years after it was published.  
> Ask me questions about the fanfic in the comments or on my Tumblr blog found [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/the-cosmic-latte-nerdface-lloyd).  
> Thanks for reading!


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